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. . CONSTITUTION , . 



OF THE 



Oklahoma Historical Society. 

Incorporated Jan. 21, 1895. 



I. This association shall be styled the Oklahoma Histor- 
ical Society. The objedt of the Society shall be to collect, 
embody, arrange and preserve books, pamphlets, maps, 
charts, manuscripts, papers, paintings, statuary, and other 
materials illustrative of the history of Oklahoma in particular, 
and of the country in general; to procure from the early set- 
tlers narratives of the events relative to the early settlement 
of Oklahoma, and of the early explorations, the Indian 
occupancy, opening and immigration to the Territory and 
theWest; to gather all information calculated to exhibit faith- 
fully the antiquities, and the past and present resources of 
the commonwealth, and to take steps to promote the study of 
history by lectures and other available means. 

II. This Society shall consist of active, life, honorary and 
corresponding members, who may be chosen by the Board of 
Directors at any regular or special meeting, except at their 
meeting uext preceding the annual meeting of the Society: 
the aclive members to consist of citizens of the common- 
wealth, bv the payment of one dollar annually; the life mem- 
bers by the payment at any one time of ten dollars; thehonor- 
arv and corresponding members, who shall be exempt from 



I LP" I 

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|- *Dd taM ^ shall be chosen from persons in any part of 
the a odd distinguished for their literary or scientific attain- 
ments, and known especially as friends and promoters of 
history; editors and publishers of newspapers and periodicals 
vhc contribute the regular issues of the same to the collections 
°/ th ? Society, shall be considered active members of the 
bociety during the continuance of such contribution. 

"I. There shall be a Board of Directors of the Society to 
consist of twenty-five members, who shall be elected from 
among members of the Society; or, if any person be elected 
who shall not at the time be a member of the Society, he shall 
become such by the payment of the annual membership fee 
of one dollar; and he shall then become qualified to act as a 
member of the Board of Directors upon taking the oath of 
°f Ce aS SU(1 '- Ai! . v Person elected a member of the Board of 
Directors who shall fail to qualify within sixty days after 
bemKnot.hed of h,s election, shall be deemed to have declined 
tl.t Office, and I the same shall thereby he considered vacant 
Any vacancy m the Board of Directors, or in any office of the 
So( ,ety may be filled by the Board of Directors" at any meet- 
ing subsequent to the occurring thereof. Any number not 
-s h,n hve shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of 
business. No member of the Board of Directors, or other 
officer, except the Custodian, shall receive pay for any of the 
ordinary duties of his office. 

IV The elective offices of the Society shall consist of a 
President and two Vice Presidents, a Secretary, C us tod Eui 

l™\\l Th( V >I ' eS ; dent ViCC Preside " ts ™* Usurer 
shall hold their offi es for a term of one year, and until their 

successors are chosen; said officers to be, chosen by ballot of 
the Society the reledt on fo be made at the annual meeting 
o he Society, and their terms of office shall begin at the date 
of their election and qualification in office. The Secretary and 
Cns od.an shall hold their offices for a term of wo yea" 5 ad 
»intiltlH.n i Succ ( ss, ) rsarecho,en. And. in addition to thW 
office,^ all ! donah on. of money or property (if accepted"' 
the Board of Directors) to the amount or value of five hun 
dreddolhi^ shall constitute the donors life- directors of the 
Society during their natural lives: hut such life-directors shall 
never exceed in dumber the regularly elected directors and 
^ 7^>« from life-directorships or from donations or be 
quests, unless especially directed otherwise by such life" direc 
t, ; S ' (,,n,,,S - o^ u devisors, shall be invested to the est 
lt V T 8 f ■ and th< ' arrn,m - UlW ^ b e used ana shall be 

Z*l7 e ? ,v 1S l Ch > mBawf f or the benefit of the Soctty as the 
Board oi Directors mftv direct. • 



V. The annual meeting of the Society shall be held at the 
University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, on the first 
Saturday in J une; and those members not less than ten who meet 
at any annual or special meeting of the Society upon the call of 
the Board of Directors, shall be a quorum for the transit 
tion of business. 

VI. The President, or in his absence one of the Vice- Pi es- 
identsor in their absence auymemberof the Society selected on 
the occasion, shall preside at the annual meeting or any 
special meeting of the society. Such presiding officer shall 
preserve order, regulate the order of proceedings, give a cast- 
ing vole whenever the same is required, and countersign all 
warrants drawn by the Secretary. 

VII. The Secretary shall preserve a full and correct record 
of the proceedings of all meeting's of the Society, to be enter- 
ed on his book in chronological order. These records shall 
always be open for the inspection of any member of the 
Society. He shall conduct the correspondence of the Society, 
shall preserve for the Society the official communications 
addressed to him and keep copies of official letters written by 
him; he shall have charge of the seal; he shall collector cause 
to be collected moneys due to the Society and pay the same to 
the Treasurer; he shall give notice of the meetings of the 
Society; he shall edit and supervise, under direction of the 
Publication Committee, the publications of the Society, and 
to prepare or cause to be prepared and published, a bi-ennial 
report of the work and condition of the Society. 

VII I. The Custodian shall have charge of the books, 
manuscripts, and' other collections of the Society; he shall 
keep a catalogue of the same, together with all additions made 
during his official term; in case of donation, he shall specify 
in his record the name of the book, manuscript, or article do- 
nated with the name of the donor and date of the gift: he 
shall make an annual report of the condition of the library; 
he shall keep and cause to be suitably bound such papers as 
he shall deem fit, out of funds not otherwise expended: lie 
shall direct the literary exchanges; he shall report to all calls 
made upon him touching the affairs of his office by the Secre- 
tary of the Society, his work to be under the general super- 
vision of the Secretary. 

IX. The Treasurer shall receive and have charge or all 
dues, appropriations, donations and bequests of moneys, and 
all funds whatsoever of the Society, and pay such sums as 
the Board of Directors may from time to time direct, on the 
warrant of the President, countersigned by the Secretary; and 



he shall make an annual report of the pecuniary transactions 
of the Society, and also a statement of the funds and proper- 
ty of the Society, at any special or stated meeting when 
thereto required. 

X. The Custodian and Treasurer shall give satisfactory 
bonds, in such sums as the Board of Directors may deem 
proper, for the faithful performance of their respective duties, 
and for the faithful preservation of property of every kind 
belonging to the Society; and such bonds shall be filed among 
the papers of the Society. 

XI. The Directors shall elect their own officers. The 
Directors shall supervise and direct the financial and business 
concerns of the Society; may augment the library, cabinet, 
and gallery, by purchase or otherwise; may make arrange- 
ments for a single lecture or a course of lectures, for promot- 
ing historic knowledge, and increasing the pecuniary resources 
of the Association. They shall have power to fill any 
vacancies occurring in their number; they shall audit and 
adjust all accounts of the Society; they may call special 
meetings when necessary, appoint tiie annual orator, make 
suitable arrangements for the delivery of the annual address, 
use their discretion as to the publication of any communica- 
tions, collections, transactions, annual or other addresses,- or 
other written matters of the Society; and they shall make a 
full report of their transactions to the Secretary, accompanied 
by such suggestions as may seem to them appropriate and 
worthy of attention. They may appoint an Executive Com- 
mittee from their own number, to perform su< h duties as may 
be pres :ribed for such committee. 

XII. The Secretary is hereby authorized and directed to 
cause the bills for the annual dues of active members to be 
made out and sent to the addresses of such members on or 
before the first day of June of each year, with a copy of this 
article, and if such amount is not paid to the Treasurer of 
this society by the first day of December following, of said 
vear, those members in arrears shall be deemed to have for- 
feited their membership and their names shall be stricken 
from the roll of the members. The term of annual member- 
ships to date from and after the first Saturday in June. 

XI M. The Board of Directors may adopt By-Laws for 
their own ^oyeru merit and guidance, not inconsistent with 
this constitution. 

XIV. This Co;istituti m and By-Laws shall not be amend- 
ed save at tie a i rural meeting of the Society, and then o .lv 
when the proposed amendment shall have been reduced to 
writing, and entered on the minutes of the Society, at least 



one month previous to a vote being taken on the same, and 
provided also that a y 3 majority of the members present shall 
concur in the adoption of the amendment or amendments pr< - 
posed. 

By = Laws. 

I. The Board of Directors shall audit all accounts pre- 
sented against the Society, and all warrants drawn upon the 
Treasurer shall be upon sworn vouchers, approved by a ma- 
jority of the Board of Directors, there being a quorum. 

II. The Board of Directors shall determine the character 
of the published reports of the Society, and shall decide what 
papers from its transactions and collections the biennial re- 
port shall contain; shall provide for the annual address: shall 
take such action as may be deemed advisable in reference to 
the delivery from time to time of lectures and addresses on 
historical subjects at the University or elsewhere; shall take 
such action as the interests of the Society shall from time to 
time demand in relation to providing and furnishing suitable 
rooms for its collections, and shall consult with the Secretarv 
and Custodian and with them decide upon the purchasing of 
bo . iks to augment the Society's library. 

III. At or before the commencement of each fiscal year 
the Board of Directors shall examine and audit the accounts of 
the Treasurer; and at the annual meeting they shall make a 
written report to the Society. 

IV. There shall be a Committee on Legislation to consist" 
of five members; and it snail be the duty of the committee, 
annually, to confer with the members an 1 committees of the 
legislature, and present for their consideration and action the 
matters for legislation which the Board of Directors shall rec- 
ommend. 

V. There shall be a Committee on N miinations to c insist 
of five members; it shall be the duty of the committee, annu- 
ally, at some time ; revious to the annual meeting of the So- 
ciety, tu make a selection of persons whom they mav deem 
proper to recommend for members of the Board of Director.-, 
and shall present the same for the action of the Society at the 
annual meeting. 

VI. The Custodian shall be paid a salary of 

by warrant on the Treasurer 

of the S >ciety, drawn by the Secretary, and c uintersigned by 
the President, out of any appropriations made by the Legis- 
lature for the benefit oi the Society. 

VII. That a two thirds majority of the Directors present 
shall be required to eh\ t a candidate 1 >r membership. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



016 089 580 9 (p 



